PAF15–PCNA exhaustion governs the strand-specific control of DNA replication

Eukaryotic genome replication is surveyed by the S-phase checkpoint, which coordinates sequential origin activation to prevent the exhaustion of poorly defined, rate-limiting replisome components1-3. Here we show that excessive origin firing saturates chromatin-bound proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-a sliding clamp for DNA polymerase processivity and Okazaki fragment processing4-thereby restricting further PCNA loading and lagging-strand synthesis when checkpoint control is lost. PCNA-associated factor 15 (PAF15) emerges as a dosage-sensitive regulator of this process5-9. During unperturbed S phase, the entire soluble PAF15 pool binds to chromatin, leaving no reserve to stabilize PCNA under conditions of excessive origin activation. PAF15 binds to PCNA specifically on the lagging strand through a high-affinity PIP motif and occupies the DNA-encircling channel, protecting the clamp and associated enzymes from premature unloading by the ATAD5-RFC complex. Conversely, overexpression of PAF15 or forced redistribution to the leading strand disrupts replisome progression and induces cell death. These detrimental effects are mitigated by Timeless-Claspin, which blocks PAF15-PCNA binding on the leading strand. E2F4-mediated repression fine-tunes PAF15 expression to ensure optimal dosage and strand specificity. These findings reveal a previously unrecognized replisome constraint: when PAF15-PCNA assemblies are exhausted, the S-phase checkpoint globally restricts origin activation, linking a strand-specific rate-limiting mechanism to global replication dynamics.